This post is for the Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers (FFfAW) Challenge, run by Priceless Joy. The challenge is that you write a story of 75-175 words inspired by the photo prompt below. I’ve ignored the rather modern looking telegraph wires in the picture and have written another other-world fantasy story this week – though one without any magic, so I suppose you could say it was historical if you preferred. I hope you like it.
Waystation
Genre: Fantasy
The bastards had killed his horse.
Clutching his cloak around his shoulders, Rynel muttered a litany of curses as he stumbled along the path. The unseasonable chill as the sun set was the final misery of a wretched day. He cursed the riding boots rubbing his feet raw, the map-makers who’d ambitiously named the dirt-track he followed a road and, most of all, the bastards who’d killed his horse. The hastily bandaged injury to his side had also reopened, seeping blood and flaring in pain with every step. He was lucky to have escaped the rebels’ ambush with his life.
Unfortunately he was now stranded miles from his destination, carrying an urgent message the king’s enemies would happily kill to prevent him delivering. And he was without a horse.
He just prayed the map’s naming of a waystation in the next town was more accurate than its naming of the road – only waystations stabled horses for royal messengers.
In the heart of rebel territory, he also prayed the place was still loyal to the king.
Word Count: 175
There may well be a continuation to this story at some point. This is only the first part of the idea I had – I couldn’t fit the whole thing into the word limit! Unfortunately finding the time to write it might be a little tricky but I’ll do my best….
As a little apology for being so late posting this I thought I’d also share a pencil sketch I drew last year when writing and illustrating my Littlest Unicorn stories. I’d never really drawn horses before (and I’ve only ever been riding twice) so I spent quite some time making sure I had their form correct.
An Enchanted Place 
It’s a good story and continuation would be fun
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Thank you. 🙂 A continuation is a definite possibility.
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Excellent story! It drew me and my emotions into it right away. The ending was great! Your horse drawing is beautiful! I think you did an excellent job getting its form perfect. I draw, but not that good. As far as making your story a continuation, I am shutting down continuations after this month. It is getting way too complicated. I will be implementing Rochelle’s rules that each story needs to have a beginning, middle and an end. I will be explaining it in my next challenge post and adding it to the rules.
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Thank you, PJ. I’m glad you like it. If I do write a continuation of this its unlikely to be as a challenge response as I know very clearly where I want it to go. Fitting it to a photo prompt would change it too much. I’d hoped to write and post it today, in fact, but that doesn’t look too likely to happen…. Thanks for visiting. 🙂
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Thank you so much Louise for understanding. Yinglan said that is what she is going to do – write a full story and post it on her blog for everyone to read. I personally think people will enjoy it more that way.
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Interesting reading, a lot that could happen! Love it
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Thank you! I do have lots of ideas. 🙂
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Great story! I think when he reaches the waystation he’ll need to watch what he says until he’s got the lie of the land.
Great sketch! I tried drawing horsies once in one of my DraliDoodles. It did NOT go well 🙂
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I think you could be right! That waystation could be a dangerous place to visit. 🙂 I’m glad you like the sketch, as well – I’ve always loved to draw almost as much as I love to write.
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Wow this makes for a brilliant plot and you produced a splendid sketch too!
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Thank you. 🙂 I’m glad you like them.
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great story and so well written – I’d love to read more! and love the horse you’ve drawn – my attempts at illustration usually involve the same clunky animal with interchangeable hooves/horns/tail depending on what its meant to me :p
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A great start for a story! Would love it to continue! Your sketch is brilliant!!
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The first line was perfect to catch your audience, great story. The horse sketch is beautiful, you’re very good at drawing 🙂
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I very much liked the history behind your story. It made the actual story very fast paced and exciting
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